
Step off an aircraft in Datong, the city at the heart of the coal belt in north China’s Shanxi province, and it is not long before the eyes sting and the throat is dry from the very noticeable levels of coal dust in the air.
By Geoff Dyer and Fiona Harvey
Published: November 24 2009 23:03 | Last updated: November 24 2009 23:03

Step off an aircraft in Datong, the city at the heart of the coal belt in north China’s Shanxi province, and it is not long before the eyes sting and the throat is dry from the very noticeable levels of coal dust in the air.